The friends and family of Priti Patel, the 29-year-old woman who disappeared while visiting her family’s home in St-Laurent last Sunday, will conduct a search for her on Saturday morning.

The search will begin at 9:30 a.m. at the spot where Patel’s husband, Nitan, was able to track her smartphone’s last position signal — the parking lot of Sacré Coeur Hospital in Montreal near Rivière des Prairies.

Megan Ilko, a friend since childhood and one of the organizers of the search, said that simply up and leaving wasn’t something Priti would do. She added that while they will comb the area for any sign of Priti’s whereabouts, they will also be posting flyers with her photo and description in the area.

Patel, married for three years and living in Châteauguay with her husband, was visiting her parents and brother at their home in the borough of St-Laurent last weekend. For reasons that have yet to be determined, she suddenly decided to leave the house at about 11 p.m. Sunday.

The search for Patel is rendered even more desperate because she suffers from a medical condition and requires daily medication.

While her husband said he was too distraught to speak to the Montreal Gazette on Friday, his sister Priya echoed Ilko’s assessment that Priti’s sudden departure was uncharacteristic.

“I’ve known Priti for 10 years,” she said. “And there’s never been an incident like this. The longest she’s ever out of communication is an hour or two. She always has her phone with her.”

Patel stands 5-foot-5 and weighs 138 pounds.

When last seen she was wearing a black wool coat, dark jeans and black New Balance shoes.

Anyone with any information on Patel’s whereabouts is urged to call Info-Crime at 514-393-1133.

Priti Patel disappeared Dec. 17. She had gone for a walk in St-Laurent borough.Facebook